# @samanthakeyy on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CzXHdafRTLu
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/13332793-samanthakeyy-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/ddf345d565.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-11-07T22:14:17.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Samantha Key (@Samanthakeyy) — https://gondola.cc/Samanthakeyy

## Caption

Who was Kate Jackson? This question arose while I was passing through Tampa's famous 'Kate Jackson's Park.'
Ms. Jackson's legacy dates back to 1857; she was the only girl among three children. The Jacksons were devoted Catholics, which was uncommon in early Tampa. They sent Kate to an all-girls Catholic school in Key West, and she enjoyed her time there so much that she set out to open what is now the "Academy of the Holy Names."

In addition to her efforts to bring the academy to Tampa, she also founded the Tampa Civic Association and helped persuade male politicians to accept public library funding. She spoke passionately about cleaning up the city and helped enforce a "no spitting ordinance." This also included creating and maintaining public parks and recreation areas for the children of Tampa.

Kate's legacy is still embedded in our Tampa neighborhoods. The Kate Jackson Community Center is not only named in her honor but is also located on the same property, keeping the same address as well.

The path to becoming a city park wasn't linear. Upon Kate's death, her property was turned over to the Catholic Church, which converted it into a kindergarten for the Sacred Heart Church. Then, during WWII, the National Catholic Community Service used the home as a residence club for the wives and families of the servicemen who were training in Tampa.

After the war, in 1944, the City of Tampa acquired the home and created a community center named "the Anderson Community Center."

By 1972, the home built in 1911 was considered a "monstrosity" and a "fire trap" due to negligence.

The demolition of Ms. Jackson's home in 1975 served as a new beginning for her honor. By the late 1990s, the city began making improvements to the park, adding the now-iconic Lion fountain. Three years later, they added the 8,000-square-foot community center.

Kate’s Will perfectly describes who she was as a person. She gave $8,000 (equivalent to $140,000 today) in total to her African American employees, Christmas Rahming and Felix Bain, which was extremely rare given the times.

Thank you Kate for your long lasting impact!

#tampa #tampahistory #hydeparkvillage #katejackson #katejacksonpark

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 53
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 2

## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Samantha Key | @Samanthakeyy | https://gondola.cc/Samanthakeyy | Business |

## Tags

tampahistory, tampa, hydeparkvillage, katejacksonpark, katejackson

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